A scenario that took place the other day while out shopping with my friend...

Friend: I'm going to return this top

Me: Didn't you have that on the other night?

Friend: Yeah, but I'm broke. I need money for gas.

Me: I don't think they're going to give you your money back if the tag's not on it.

Friend: OH THEY WILL GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK! I'LL MAKE A SCENE!

Me: Okayyy.

At that point, I left the issue alone. When we got to the store, she lied and said that the top never had a tag on it to begin with, so they refunded her money with no problem (she did have her receipt). Lucky for me, she didn't have to cause a scene because that would've been embarrassing.

I never returned worn items before. It has crossed my mind a time or two, but I'd feel bad about it if I did it. When I worked in retail, I saw it happen all of the time. There was this one customer who would constantly come in and return worn stuff- no tags, smelled kind of funky, etc. When the manager told her that the return couldn't be accepted, the customer always threatened to call the district manager, so the store manager ends up giving her money back. Wow. Do you or have you ever returned worn clothing? Discuss.

9/25/09

Right now, select shoes are now 75% off at Love My Shoes. A lot of the shoes are meh, but you can find some hidden gems like the pair you see to your left, or these, and these. Enter coupon code BIG75OFF at the checkout. Offer ends 10-3-09.

I failed to mention in my Topic Tuesday discussion that a pair of blue suede pumps are also on my fall shopping list. I am on the hunt for the perfect pair. Here are a few that I've found for under $50.

You know how the old saying goes, "if it's good, it ain't cheap, and if it's cheap, it ain't good". Well, that saying doesn't ring true for everything. As you know, I don't spend a lot of money on nail polish. I love to experiment with trendy colors, so I don't spend a lot on them. The most I've ever spent on a bottle of nail polish was about $6. Yeah, I'm cheap. I soon realized that the cheap brands of topcoat I was using just didn't keep my manicures fresh. After about a day or so, my polish was chipping off really bad. Not a good look. Then, I decided to try a more expensive, well known brand name topcoat. I figured the more it cost, the better staying power my nail color had, right? Well, my manicures went an extra day or so without chipping, but my nails weren't as shiny as I want them to be. Then I discovered Wet N Wild's Mega Last Quick Dry Ultra Gloss top coat. My search has ended. For a measly $2, this topcoat packs shine and my manicures last- chip free- for well over a week. This is now my go-to topcoat.

9/22/09

I'm know I'm late to the party on this one, but I didn't know that Piperlime is selling apparel now. Starting today through October 11th, they're giving you a chance to indulge in your inner stylist by creating looks from the apparel closet. All you have to do is use Polyvore to create fabulous sets with Piperlime's apparel, shoes, and handbags (you have to use one of the big fall trends they have shown). If Rachel Zoe chooses your set as one of her five favorites, you win a $250 Piperlime giftcard! Enter the contest here. Good luck!

Well today marks the first day of fall, and I can't wait until it finally cools down so I can start my fall shopping. On my shopping list so far are a pair of over the knee boots, a leather (or pleather) moto jacket, and a cute pair of booties.

9/21/09

Ah, the military jacket- one of Fall 2009's biggest trends. Throw one on to jazz up a simple jeans and tee combo, or spice up a cute dress. Here are a few that I've found for under $50 (except the last one).

Remember this maxi dress that I featured in the look for less post I did for Estelle? Well, this baby is on clearance now for a whopping $4.80! Yeah, I know that you packed all of your summer duds away and you're getting ready for fall, but I would definitely save this for next spring/summer. For this price, how can you pass it up?

9/20/09

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Procter & Gamble has teamed up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to launch GIVE HOPE, a program designed to increase women's chances of survival from the deadly disease through early detection. A special edition of the P&G brandSAVER coupons will be in next Sunday's (Sept. 27) newspaper. For every coupon redeemed, a two cent donation will be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The donations will be used by the NBCF to fund education programs across the country.

Also, brands from P&G such as Tide, Bounce, Swiffer, Venus, and Downy will introduce special edition pink products in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These special edition products will hit shelves in October.

9/18/09

A fall wardrobe wouldn't be complete without a pair of boots (or two) in it. One of the hottest styles right now are the over-the-knee boots, and I'm loving all of the styles I'm seeing. Since I don't wear boots too often, I figure I'll get in on the trend without spending too much money, so I've found a few that are under $50.

9/16/09

No stranger to the red carpet, Kimmy K attended the Whiteout movie premiere in this simple but chic ensemble. The red lip makes it extra sexy, don't cha' think? Cheap Chica reader, Veronica, inquired about a cheaper version of Ms. Kardashian's Rag & Bone moto leggings. I found them at Bebe, but honey, they're not cheap. Maybe Forever 21 will have a cheaper version in another month or so. I still managed to recreate Kim's outfit for under $200 with pieces from Old Navy, Payless, and Forever 21.

Man, those Alexander McQueen "Pelle" booties are sure hot, and they've been on my mind for quite some time now. I was hoping someone would make a budget -friendlier version, because these would definitely burn a hole in my pocketbook. Lucky for us Cheap Chicas that Steve Madden has made their own version with their "Seryna" bootie. Much better price, but I need a coupon or something to knock that price down a litte bit more.

9/13/09

I took a trip to Target today to do a little shopping and to peep the new Anna Sui for Target collection. The collection has not made it to my local store yet and I doubt if it will because the stores in my area rarely get in the designer lines. It kind of bummed me out because I was hoping to try on a few pieces. Has anyone seen the collection in person yet? What do you think of it?

I did notice that my store is starting to get some fall items, and the pieces that I'm seeing are really cute. I can't wait until it cools down! I snapped a few pics of some items I liked. I didn't take many because a sales associate walked up to me and told me that I couldn't take pics of the merchandise.

I was going to take pics of this shoe and this one, but that's when the sales associate walked up to me and told me I couldn't take pics of the merchandise. Oh well. I ended up buying this burnout graphic tee because I need more tees to lounge around in anyway, but I will definitely consider Target when it's time to start my fall shopping.

9/12/09

Today, my husband and I are headed to a house warming party/cookout for one of our close friends. Since it's still about a million degrees down here in Florida, I decided to throw on the dress that I scored from Goodwill last weekend for comfort. I wasn't going to wear the belt at first, but this dress was a little too loose, so I decided to cinch it. I just threw on some flat sandals and a couple of bracelets to complete the look.

The lovely Sara has sent me a certificate for a free pair of jeans from Dress Barn. Unfortunately, I am unable to use it because I just realized that the closest store to me is an hour away, and I rarely have time to venture out over to that area. Bummer. Look at it this way- my loss is your gain. This giveaway is only for this weekend- I want to mail this out as soon as possible because the certificate expires on 9/30/09. The first person to email the answer this question wins:

On a recent shopping trip, I had to pass on a cute pair of shoes because they didn't fit right . What brand were the shoes and how much did they cost?

This should be easy if you're a regular reader of this blog. It was really recent. Sorry if the question isn't "denim related", I just thought of the first question that came to mind. Giveaway is for US residents only. Good luck! Below is a coupon for 20% off. Print it out and go shopping!

If you happen to come across an October 2009 issue of Seventeen magazine, you will find that there's a coupon in it for $10 off any juniors' apparel purchase from Sears. The best thing about this coupon is that there's no minimum purchase! You can also use this offer online by using coupon code 17SEARSAPPAREL at the checkout. The coupon is good from 9/15- 11/14/09 in the US only.

P.S.- This is only a scan of the coupon toshow you how it looks. Don't attempt to print it out and use it. You have to have the actual coupon.

***UPDATE*** There is a printable version of this coupon. Click here to get it!

9/8/09

Although they're slightly different from the Giuseppe Zanotti boots, I can see where the Baker's version got its inspiration. Both boots are hot, but the Baker's boots are more friendlier on my wallet.

Hey Ladies! I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend, whether or not you had to work like me. This summer went by so quickly, didn't it? But alas, it is now fall, which means time for boots, layered looks, and patterned tights! This is my fave time of year. Who agrees?

This was a GREAT weekend of shopping for me. I had projects for work, but I still made time to get some laundry done, spend time with the sweetie, and write. Next to the laundrymat there was a Payless, so while my clothes got clean, I checked out the BOGO. Look at my finds.

2 pairs of shoes for about $25...gotta love it.

Then I found 2 cute scarves for $2 each, and a pair of earrings at a store called Joyce Leslie. They sell women's clothes and are located in NJ, NY, CT, and PA. I absolutely love the scarves because of all the colors in them. Accessorizing will be a breeze with these...plus they are long which will allow me to wrap them in different ways.

And the earrings...

Sears had a really nice labor day sale. There was clearance of up to 85% off, with an additional 40% off. I bought a this flowery cardigan because I looooooooove cardigans in the fall, and because it reminded me of a rosy cardigan that Kasmira rocked a couple weeks back. I plan on pairing mine with a simple tank and jeans, or maybe my denim dress.

Here's a closeup of the print. With the bright pink, it's funky and girly at the same time.

Alright ladies, that's what I got. I hope your finds were as fabulous as mines. Have a great week, it's almost over!